Embrace the Power: A Paranormal Romance (The Blood Rose Series Book 9) (4 page)

She mentally focused on Charborne. Images of the lovely forested foothills near the village sped through her mind. Yet right on the heels of these images came a vision of a lot of Invictus.

She wanted to know more, to see how many wraith-pairs and where they were focusing their attack. She let the vision unfold and saw at least thirty wraith-pairs.

She shared the details with Stone.

I’ll let Harris know.

Okay. Now let me see if I can find Elias because my initial vision included the mine.

Do it.

Rosamunde took one side-trip and focused on Delia’s husband. Images arrived of the mine, and the surrounding woods. The troll was within the mine, his back pressed up against the rocky wall. Rosamunde could hear wraiths shrieking in the distance.

Elias is in the mine and he’s unharmed. You can let Delia know if you want. But we’ve got to get to him soon. Is the mine at the northwest end of the property, near the woods?

That’s the one. Meet me there?

Will do. And Stone, it might be best if you brought someone else along who could fly Elias home. He can’t levitate very well and I have the sense he’s injured. The trip would be impossible for him to make by himself

Understood. I’ve got two Guardsmen with me.

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see her.
I’ll go to Elias now. We’ll be inside the cave, waiting for you.

Perfect. See you in a few.

Aralynn continued to focus her attention on Elias until his location was fixed in her mind. She panned back within the vision and found a covered area in the shrubbery near the massive rocks where she could teleport and still remain hidden in case wraith-pairs were scouring the area.

She checked her dagger on her left hip, then moved in a quick zip to the old mine. She arrived after barely a second of travel and on instinct hunkered down then looked up to check the night sky. The wraith shrieks were still far away, which she considered a good sign.

When she didn’t see or hear anything suspicious either above or near her, she eased her way around the rocks, careful to watch for the smallest sign of Invictus.

She levitated just above the earth to keep her boots from making noise on the leaf-strewn ground. Moving swiftly, she entered the mine and called out softly. “Elias? It’s Aralynn. Mastyr Stone and his Guardsmen are on the way. Are you here? Are you okay?” She knew what she’d seen in the brief vision, but she was still so new to the process she wasn’t entirely confident she’d caught all the details.

But Elias’s voice streamed toward her. “In here.”

She slipped past the initial large cavern and found Elias exactly where she’d envisioned him, his back to the wall of a shaft entrance.

She moved toward him, surprised at his looks. Davido might be ugly, but it was possible Elias was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, with dark brown hair that flowed from his uppermost forehead ridge in sculpted waves. It was no wonder Delia had fallen hard for him. His complexion, however, was very pale, no doubt at least in part from dehydration.

“How did you know I was here?” He kept his voice to a whisper. “I’ve been trapped for the past two days. Wraith-pairs have been all over this area.”

“I had a vision.”

“About me?” His eyes widened.

“Charborne, actually, then you.”

“Is it bad? The village, I mean?”

“Not sure. But Stone’s on his way as well as Harris and they’re bringing the troops in. So, you were smart to hide out here.”

He shook his head. “That’s not it. I’d been deep in the mine when I took a fall. Cracked my head. I was unconscious for I don’t know how long. My friend went to get help.” He then gestured with his free hand to what she now realized was a broken arm, held in a makeshift sling. Not all realm-folk had self-healing power sufficient for serious breaks. “But he never came back and my phone had no reception in here. I’d just made my way to the entrance when I heard the distant shrieks, though that wasn’t very long ago.”

“All right. We’re safe for now.” Even as the words left her mouth, however, she knew they weren’t. She could feel Invictus moving in their direction. “Let me contact Stone.”

His head drooped with fatigue and he nodded. She wished she’d brought some water with her. But there was one thing she could do. She might not have the healing powers of some of the more powerful fae, but she could offer Elias some relief.

She put her hand on his head. “This should help.”

He sighed heavily as she let her power flow. She then contacted Stone.
I’m with Elias. He’s severely dehydrated and has a broken arm.

We’re almost there and we’re coming in from the east. Can you leave the mine?

Maybe. The woods give excellent cover. I’ll try to get us both out there, but I think we’ve got wraith-pairs moving in.

Do what you can, but stay safe.

She loved that about Stone. They might have run over fifty missions together throughout the last few weeks, but he never took chances with her safety.

She told Elias the plan then moved toward the mine opening. But the moment she stepped into the larger, cavernous entrance, a wraith-pair dropped into view just outside.

“Well, lookee what we have here, Imogen.”

The duo, wearing rags but carrying sharp, honed weapons, hovered right in front of the mine’s opening. The female wraith, in a shredded, red gauze dress flew in a circle above her vampire mate’s head. The vampire’s fangs made an appearance, and saliva dripped down his chin.

The wraith was as vile in appearance as any Rosamunde had ever seen. Her lips were almost black and it wasn’t just lipstick. The whites of her eyes looked jaundiced and her irises were similar to the violet of Rosamunde’s.

The wraith shrieked so loud, Rosamunde had to cover her ears, as did Elias. Her mate was a powerful vampire, just shy of what Stone would call mastyr status.

Imogen added, “And listen to how my voice echoes into the mine.”

Rosamunde covered her ears once more, protecting herself from the shrill barrage. Suddenly, another wraith-pair showed up behind the original couple.

As the second wraith let loose, Rosamunde contacted Stone.
We’ve got two wraith-pairs in front of the mine entrance.

I see them.
Stone’s voice was very quiet within her head.
Stay put, but this will probably get messy.

I’ll try to distract them.

After telling Elias to stay well behind her, she drew her dagger. “You call that loud?” she shouted, waving her weapon. Her heart thumped in her chest. The wolf part of her was loving every second of it, but the fae part kept wanting to put the brakes on.

This was Aralynn’s show, however, so she let her wolf be.

“Come on, wraith. Let’s hear a couple more.”

The wraiths took the bait and Rosamunde covered her ears once more.

Chapter Two

Levitating just inside the tree-line, Stone heard Aralynn taunting the wraiths. He waved his Guardsmen up and forward. One of them was another of his lieutenants, Cole, whom he relied on as much as Harris.

Both Guards rose high in the air, then dove swiftly at the four levitating Invictus blocking the entrance to the mine. Each released blue battle energy from their palms as they flew by.

At the same moment, the wraiths turned and fired off red killing vibrations from their hands, wrists and arms. The quick reactions caught the Guardsmen’s battle energy midair. Red and blue parks flew into the air as the disparate energies collided.

Cole, swing back around but fire at the vampire. I’ll take down the wraith closest to me.

Got it.

Stone watched Cole and the other Guardsman, now high in the air, turn back toward the mine, the wraiths’ attention fixed on them.

Stone moved swiftly, just a foot above the woodland path then at the last moment, put on his vampire speed.

The wraith didn’t see him coming. Flying straight for her, he took her down, an arm around her thin neck. He jerked hard and heard the crack. He let her body fall to the ground, ready to face the vampire.

However, because of the bond, once the wraith was dead, the vampire fell hard to earth, his life-force depleted. He might have been able to recover, but took a blue streak of Guardsman fire-power straight to the head as Cole dove in for the kill.

Both Invictus were dead.

The second wraith rose in the air, facing the two Guardsmen, firing her battle energy and shrieking. But her vampire bond-mate came at Stone, throwing his axe with skill. Stone dove to the right away from the mine entrance and felt the axe just graze his bare shoulder. He’d have a metal burn but the blade didn’t break skin.

Stone fired his battle energy, hitting the vampire square in the chest. He flew backward several feet, landed on his back and didn’t move.

The second Guardsman had come in low from the west, exchanging fire with the wraith. But she’d dropped from the air at the same moment Stone’s battle energy struck her mate.

Both pairs were dead.

Cole and the other Guard flew down to Stone’s position. He ordered them to stand watch outside the mine and to only engage the Invictus enemy if necessary. He wanted to get Delia’s husband to safety first.

Aralynn, I’m coming in. Is the situation secure?

It is. Tell Cole that was some awesome shooting and you didn’t look so bad yourself wrestling that first wraith to the next life.

Stone smiled as he walked inside the mine opening. It was clear it had been a cave at one time well before gold fever had struck.

He found Aralynn blocking Elias protectively, though she stepped out of the way as soon as she saw he was alone.

He addressed the troll who looked weak from stress, hunger and thirst. “My men will get you back to Rutland. Delia’s waiting for you there. First, though, what happened? What can you tell me?”

Elias rubbed his forehead. His hands and nails were dirty from being in the mine. “I didn’t see anything. I was with a friend who wanted me to have a look at the mine. We’d been exploring for a couple of hours when a wooden plank gave way and I fell maybe eight feet. I hit my head. When I woke up, my arm hurt like hell and my friend was gone. Hearing some wraiths shriek, I stayed put until I knew it was daylight, then I made my way back up here.”

“So, there were wraith-pairs here last night?”

“Yes. I don’t know if they got my friend, or not.”

He shook his head. “Sweet Goddess, they’ve had free range of the village for a full night and now a second.”

But Elias cut in. “I remember a warning siren. Mastyr, you’ve trained your citizens well. I’ll wager a lot of the villagers took shelter before the attack.”

“I’m going to hold to that thought.” He glanced behind him. “Cole, have you got some water?”

“I do.”

Cole moved forward and handed a small flask to Elias. He drank too fast and came up sputtering.

Stone took the metal flask. “Take it easy or you’ll lose it all. Been there.”

Elias laughed, then tears filled his eyes. “Thank you for finding me, Mastyr. Is Delia okay?”

“She’s fine. Cole, let her know that we have her husband.”

“I’m on it.” Cole turned away and spoke quietly into his com.

“I felt sure there’d be fighting in the village,” Elias said, his gaze stricken. “But I hid out here like a damn coward.”

Aralynn touched him on the shoulder. “But you had a broken arm and no weapons. What could you have done?”

“Something. Anything.”

Stone could see his suffering and he knew the feeling well. “Elias, every man worth his salt has felt the kind of guilt you’re experiencing when he holds back from battle. In this situation, I would have done the same thing you did. In fact, over the course of my years of service, I’ve done exactly that, probably hundreds of times. You did the right thing staying put.”

Elias stared at him, his eyes taking on a hard look. “That’s bullshit. You’ve never run from anything in your life. You’re the Mastyr of Tannisford.”

“Wish that were true. But it’s not. I’ve chosen plenty of times to live to fight another day. There’s no shame in it. A couple of months ago, I watched one of my Guardsmen hauled into the sky by a powerful wraith-pair, while I battled three on the ground. I could have gone after him and part of me still wishes I had. But I would have been slaughtered in the air.

“Yes, I fought off the three that were coming at me. Even then, I quit the field as more wraith-pairs moved in. I would have been killed by not retreating or by trying to save the one I lost. We make hard choices in war and I’m telling you right now, you did the right thing. You survived.”

Elias nodded.

“How about we get you home.”

Cole pivoted slightly in Stone’s direction. “Delia will be waiting for Elias at the farm and the second wave of Guardsmen have just hit Charborne. I have good news: The Invictus are retreating.”

“That’s wonderful,” Aralynn said.

Stone issued orders to have the men fly the troll home.

Elias straightened his shoulders and since Stone knew he was going to offer to remain and help with the clean-up, Stone shook his head. “You’re leaving. Delia’s expecting you and if I don’t have you home within the hour, she’ll quit my employ. And I don’t have to remind you she’s the only woman who can manage me.”

At that, Elias cracked a smile. “As to that, my woman’s never been happier than serving at your side.”

“She’s been a blessing to me.” Stone then nodded to Cole.

Cole had brown eyes and long dark hair and offered Elias a smile. “Let’s get you in the air.”

Elias thanked Stone and Aralynn, then moved outside with the two powerful Guardsmen. He accepted Cole’s extended hand.

Because trolls were short and Vampire Guardsmen on the massive, muscled size, Cole swung Elias in a practiced move up to his shoulder where the troll perched, one hand hooked into the opposite shoulder strap of Cole’s coat. The vampire immediately took to the air. The remaining Guardsman followed on his heels, rising swiftly as well, but watching the skies while they headed southeast toward Rutland where Elias and Delia lived.